steinmann



Sept;l 6, 11932. A. sTElNMANN 1,875,519

ADDING MACHINE Filed oct. 29, 195o 2 sheets-sheet 1 MW/ l W Sept. 6, 1932. A. STEINMANN I ADDING'MAGHINE 2 Sheets-Sheet' 2 Filed Oct. 29, 1930 Patented Slept. 6, 1932 PATENT oEFicE ALBERT STEINM-NN, Y0F LA CHAUXJXE-FONDS, SWITZII'RLAISI'D4 ADDING MACHINE Application pledictober 29, l1930, Serial No. 492,012, and in ySwitzerland. March 27, 19.30.

The present invention relates to a particularly light, portable adding machine of relatively small dimensions, wherein the number to be added is set up by meansof manually operable number slides, each of which, by means of a rack, actuatesa totalling` mechanism havingrotatable countingdisks. Insuch a machine, each rack, upon actuation of the slide, comes into engagement with ya drive operationcan take place only after the drives' with which the racks are engaged rare disconnected. The result is that the numbery thus set up, that isV the number to be added, is

no longer visible in the windows of the machines atthe time thatv the sum of the calculating operation appears in the windows of the totalling mechanism, this dilculty resulting from the fact that at the moment at which the drives are disconnected by movement of the slide, the rratchets of the racks are also disconnected by the slide and the number slide is returned to itsinitial position.

Applicant substantially eliminates this dif- {iculty by insuring thaty the 'totalling mechanism can completely carry out the addition without any preceding operation, or in other words, in such manner that the transfer of a number yunit tothe next highest number position ofthe totalling mechanism can proceedfeven if several, perhaps all rof the racks of the counting slide are engaged with their corresponding drives, the result being that theV number to be added or set up, and the sum of the addition are simultaneously visible in the corresponding windows of the machine.

According to applicants invention the ma- 45 chine is characterizedy by the provision of drives on the common slide, which drives are journalled with each pin in a longitudinal guide opening of the slide, and are subjected to the action of a spring urging the return ofl such slides to their zero or rest position. The

arrangement issuch that all of the drives with their corresponding racks are positively and simultaneously removed from engagement when the slide is actuated, and so that each individual drive in engagement with a rack, under the action of the corresponding countingy wheel, automatically either `describes av movement relative to the slide, or is disengaged with the rack wheny the corresponding counting wheel rotates as a result of 30 the transfer of a number unit to the next highest counting position ofthe totalling mechanism. To carry out the invention there is the necessary prerequisite that all of the counting disks of the totalling mechanism ro-y tate in the same direction under the actua-y tion of the racks of thecounting disks, or during the transfer of a number unit. However, this last mentioned feature does not form part of the invention covered by the 7 present application. f

An object of my'invention is to produce a new form of adding machine.

Another object is to produce an extremely small and portable adding machine. u

Another object is to produce a small portable adding machine of greatY strength.

Another object is to produce an adding machine having at least three yrows of sight open- 9, ings through which the movable members of the. mechanism may be viewed.

Another object is to produce a new form of numberslider, together with its cooperating parts, for use in an adding machine. asy

Another object is to produce a new form of transfer mechanism for an. adding machine.

Another Objectis to produce a new arrangement of biasingsprings.

Still another object is to produce a new form of rack and pinion mechanism for transferring values in an adding machine.

Yet another object is to produce ya new 9s. method of mounting a number slider in an adding machine. f n

Other objects and advantages will appear hereinafter.

In the drawings, in which is illustrated by 10| way of example one modification of my invention,

Figure 1 is a front view of the entire machine, a portion of the outer case being brolien away,

Figure 2 is a. longitudinal section on an enlarged scale of the ca riage supporting the pinions controlled by the racks,

Figure 3 is a fragmentary elevation on an means such as screws, not shown. The frame of the mechanism is fitted in the case 15, and this frame preferably comprisesaplate 16 and two cross members 17 and 18 joined to the back of the plate 16 by means such pillars 19. As shown, three rows of sight openings 20, 21, and 2Q are formed in the case 15. the sight openings Q0 comprisingl longitudinal` slots opposite which are inscribed, in increasing sequence upwardly, the numerals 1 to 9, each corresponding to one of nine holes 24 formed in the number slider 23, one of which is arranged in the rear of each sight opening 20. The holes 24 permit the movable sliders Q3 to slide downwardly when suitably actuated by means of a pegor rod introduced through the sight opening into one of the holes 94 On each slider there is -inscribed in ici-easing sequence upwardly the numerals O to 9, as shown at the right side of Fig. 1. These numerals, however, are removed with respect to those arranged opposite the sight openings 20, so that the numeral O is visible in the corresponding sight opening 21, at such times as theslider is in its rest position, the top of its ascend-.i path. rlie sliders of Fig. 1 are shown in such top position.

The sliders 23 are preferably mounted and movable on the cross member 17. To this end, each slider is assembled with a rigid bei' Q5 by means such as screws 27 and QSand is mounted about a guide fav or slot QG formed in the cross member 17. 'Each screw Q7 and 98 neferably carries a guide roller 29 adapted to roll along the said slide, to guide the sliderand to limit the path thereof.V T he bar 25 terminates at its lower end in a rack portion 25 adapted to operate a pinion 30 connected to the totalizing mechanism. Suitable means are provided for the return of the slider to its normal position, and in the preferred instance such means takes the form of a helical biasing spring 31, one end of which is connected to the screw 28, the other end being connected to means such as a screw 32 fixed to the plate 16.

A corresponding pawl 33 cooperates by means of its projection with each of the said racks, the pawl being pivoted at 34 about the plate 16, and being normally forced into engagement with the said rack by means such as a. biasing spring 35.

The pinions 30 are preferably mounted in a `carriage 36, best shown in 1 and 2. which carriage is shown as being fitted on the cross member 18 by means such as a screw 3T extending through elongated holes 38 of the carriage, whereby the latter is adapted for slight reciprocating motion transversely to the movement of the racks Q5. Means such as a button 39 are provided for manual operation of the said carriage. The pinions 30 are shown as provided with pivots and as being mounted on the carriage thereby, each of the said pivots preferably heilig housed in an elongated opening 40 in the carriage. This construction permits movement of the pinion relative to the carriage and to the corresponding rack 25. The pinion is normally maintained in engagement with the corresponding rack by suitable means such as a biasing spring 41, and any movement of the pinion in the elongated hole or recess 40 takes place against the tension of the said siliring. The pinion 30 is thus adapted for sli ,eht movement away from the rack 25 for disengagement therefrom.

Each of the said pawls 33 engages by means of its projection in a notch 42 of the carriage 36, so that upon movement of the latter, all of the pawls are compelled to pivot against the tension of their respective biasing springs 35, and to be disengaged from the corresponding rack 25. This action takes place Whenever the carriage is moved to the right as shown in Figures 1 and 2, by means of the button 39. At such times the pinions 30 also follow the movement of the carriage and are removed from the teeth of such rack against the tension of their respective biasing springs 41. The said last mentioned springs also serve the function of insuring the return of the carriage 36 to its rest position after the button 39 has been released, through the intermediary of the pinions 30.

Fach of the pinions 30 is shown as engaging, regardless of its relative position with respect to the rack 25', with a counting wheel 43, of the totalizing mechanism.

In the preferred form of the invention the biasing springs 35 and 41 of any given pinion 30 and pawl 33 are fixed together on a small bar 45 by means such as a single screw 44, which latter joins the bar 45 to the plate 16, as best shown in Figures 3 and 5. For this purpose, the small bar 45 is provided LILO lib

, A socket 47 is lodged in the bottom ofthek said hole and bears against the plate 16. The spring35 engages between the `bearing ofthe socket and the plate 16 by means of a portion 35 curved to form a semi-circle. The straight flexible projection of the said spring isk preferably disposed in a corresponding reamed channel 46 of the boss of the small bar, as shown in Figure 3. The spring 41, one end of which is of the same semi-circular configuration as' Vthe corresponding end of the spring k35, isy secured by the said similar portion between the socket 47 and the head of the screw 44 at such times when the latter is screwed tightly into the plate 16. `The straight flexible' extremity of the spring-41 also extends through the reamed channel 46 y and the boss 46. l

Ea/ch counting wheel 43 is preferably keyed on a shaft 48, on which are also keyed a numeral disc 49 placed behind the corresponding sight opening 22, a star wheel l50 engaging with a detent 51 iixed to a small bar 52 by means such as a screw 53, a finger 54, and a toothed wheel 55 engaging with a gear 56. The arrangement of the several parts just referred to are perhaps best shown in Figures 3 and 4. The star wheel, the wheel 55, and the gear 56 have ten teeth each,

the disc 49 bearing the numerals 0 to 9,

one of which is always visiblethrough the corresponding sight openingrk 22. The star wheel 50 through its cooperation with the detent 51 insures the maintenance of the requi f nism must have means for resetting it to zero.

' The means provided in the present'instance are preferably controlled by a button 58, and the means employed are based on a. very novel idea. Such means constitutes the subject matter of applicants copending application Serial No. 492,013 filed concurrently herewith. `Since it is obvious that such zero-resetting means may take the form of any of the `large number of conventional forms of construction, the particular form of such means does not come within the scope of the present invention and is not disclosed in detail in this application.

The operation of the machine described in the foregoing disclosure is as follows The sliders 23 represent both the single and compound units of the decimal system of calculation, as ordered in the conventional right to left-hand direction in Figure 1, that is, the single units, tens,y hundreds, etc. VFor slider.

example, in order to add the numbers and 83, the two first sliders 23 are operated, the number 75 being first set up. For this purpose, thepeg or rod is introduced in the hole placedopposite rthe number 5 of the first slider, and thelatter is then caused to slide downward until .the rod bears against the. end of the sight opening 20. This operation is repeated on the said second slider by introducing the rod in the hole opposite the numeral 7. The number 75 is then visible in the two'right-hand sight openings 21 and in the two right-hand openings 22 of the totalizer. By actuating one of the sliders as described above, its rack 25 engages with its corresponding pinion y30 and entrains the same; this pinion in its turn entrains the corre` sponding counting wheel 43 as well as the aforementioned members keyed on the shaft 48 of the counting wheel, and rotates the same through an angular movement propor-y tional to the linear movement of the said When the slider is at the end of its path, it is prevented from returning to its normal position under theactuation of the spring 31 by means of the pawl 33, which engages by means of its projection in the rack 25.

lhen the number 75 has been set, it is necessary to return the two displaced sliders to their original position before the next number can be set up. The return to zero of the sliders is eected by'means of the carriage 36 which is moved to the rightvby the button 39 so that the pinions 30 and the pawls 33 are spaced apart from the racks 25. .This movement isA permitted by the limited motion of the carriage 36 relative to the cross member 18 through a space determined by the travel of the holes 38 relative to the screws 37 arranged therein. Suchl movement carries the pinions 30 against the action of the corresponding springs 41, and pivots the pawls 33 against the action of the corresponding springs 35. The racks 25 are then returned, together with the sliders 23, tojtheir original position under the urgence of theircorresponding biasing springs 31. vThe same action takes place in connection with the carriage 36, which resumes its original position under` the actuation of the springs 41 immediately after the button 39 has been released. y y

The foregoing operations arerepeated for effecting the addition kot the number 83. This number is then readable in the two right-hand sight openings 21, while at the same time the totalizer has the reading 158, readable in the three right-hand sight openings 22, and which forms the suln of the two numbers which have been added.

In they preferred instance the transfer of the tens of the totalizing mechanism is effected by the finger 54 which during each revolution advances: through the intermediary of l' tible to numeros.

ear o6, the toothed Wheel 55 of the unit e next higher number, to the extent ot oetn. The counting wheel 43 then rorection indicated by the arroiv iondmg pinion eo im 'thus disengaggfl from trie ra" i hus insuring the transy a'. nnncdiat the action of transfer, tir pinion is reen aged Yith the corresponding rat-l: under the action of the iasing spring eil.

is obvio ing the i other than Zero, rack bars eng r y ions, and means 'for disengaging salu rack *ars and pinions, and said locking means whereby the rack bars can be restored to their n zero position.

)tor setting sain 2. In an adding machine, comprisinga frame.v and a totalizing machine consisting ot a plurality of counting disks, and a plurality of pinions for actuating them, means l pinions, comprising a. plurality of rectilinearly movable racl; bars, means normally urging said rack bars into their aero position, spring-biased means tor normally locking the racl: bars in any pesition 'thereof other than zero, and in `which position the racl: bars engage with and actuate said pinions, and means for disengaging said racl; bars and pinions, and said locking means, whereby the rack bars can be restored to their Zero position.

3. In adding machine, comprising a frame, and a tot-alizing machine consisting of a `plurality of counting disks, and a plurality of pinions for actuatingl them; means t'or setting said pinions, comprising a plurality oi' rectilinearly movable rack bars, means normally urging said rack bars into their Zero position, si 3iiiig-biased parvis for normally locking the racli bars in any position thereof other than zero, and in which position the racl bars engage With and actuate said pinions, and means for disengaging said rack bars and pinions, and said pawl, whereby the rack bars can be restored to their zero position.

-l-. In an adding machine, comprising a frame, and a totalizing machine consisting of a plurality of counting disks, and a plurality of pinions for actuating them; means for setting said pinions, comprising a plurality of rectilinearly movable rack bars, means normally urging said rack bars into their zero position, spring-biased pawls for normally locking the rack bars in any position thereof other than zero, and in which position the rack bars enUage with and actuate said pinions, means :tor normally urging said pinions against said rack bars, and means for disengaging said rack bars and pinions, and said parvis, whereby the rack bars can be restored to their zero position.

5. In an adding machine, comprising a frame, and a totalizing machine consisting of a plurality7 of counting disks, and a plurality ot pinions for actuating them; means for setting said pinions, comprising a plurality of rectilinearly movable racks bars, means norurging said rack bars into their zero position, spring-biased pawls for normally locking the` rack bars in any position thereof other than zero, and in which position the rack bars engage with and actuate said pinions, resilient means for normally urging said pinions against said rack bars, and means for disengaging said rack bars and pinions, and said paivls, whereby the rack bars can be restored to their Zero position.

6. In an adding machine, comprising aframe, and a totalizing machine consisting of a pluiaiity of counting disks, and a. plurality of pinions for actuating them; means for setting said pinions, comprising a plurality of rectilinearlyvr movable rack bars, means normally urging said rack bars into their zero position, spring-biased pawls for normally incl-:in the rack bars in any position thereof other than zero,and in Which position the rack bars engage With and actuate said pinions, spring-biased means normally urging the said pinions against said rack bars, the sprinvs biasing each pawl and the pinion corresponding' to the rack with which said pawl is adapted to engage being mounted at a common `point, and means for disengaging said rack bars and pinions, and said pawls, whereby the rack bars can be restored to their zero position.

7. In an adding machine, comprising a, traine and a totalizing machine consisting of a plurality of counting disks, and a plurality oi inions for actuating them; means for setsaid pinions, comprising a. pluralty of rectilinearly movable rack bars, means norm: ily urging said rack bars into their zero position, sp ing-biased pawls for normally lal ng the rack bars in any position thereof other than zero, and in which position the rack bars engage With and actuatc said pinions, spring-biased means normally urging the said pinions against said rack bars, and a carriage adapted for limited movement and adapted to carry said pinions and said pawls, against the action of their biasing means, out of contact with said rack bars, whereby the latter can be restored to their zero position.

8. In an adding machine, comprising a frame, and a totalizing machine consisting of a plurality of counting disks, and a plurality of pinions for actuating them; means for setting said pinions, comprising a plurality of rectilinearly movable rack bars, means normally urging said rack bars into their zero position, spring-biased pawls for normally locking the rack bars in any position thereof other than zero, and in which position the rack bars engage with and actuate said pinions, spring-biased means normally urging the said pinions against said rack bars, and a movable carriage adapted for limited movement and having a plurality of elongated pivot holes therein, in which .y the said pinions are mounted for limited 1 linear movement relative to the carriage,

manual operation of the carriage causing corresponding movement of the pinions and pawls for disengaging them from the racks, whereby the latter can be restored to their Zero position.

9. In an adding machine, comprising a frame, a plate mounted in said frame, and a totalizing machine consisting of a plurality of counting disks, and a plurality of pinions for actuating them; means for setting said pinions, comprising a plurality of manually operable number sliders comprising parts on each side of the said plate, screws passing through the said plate and assembling the sliders, guide rollers mounted about at least some of the said screws, racks connected to each of the said sliders, and normally engaging with said pinions, means normally urging said racks into their zero position, means for normally locking said racks 1n any position other than zero, and in which locked position the racks engage with said ,f pinions, and means for disengaging said racks and pinions, and said locking means, whereby the rack bars can be restored to their zero position.

10. In an adding machine comprising a frame, means movablein a substantially rectilinear direction along the line of the force imparted thereto as an incident to setting up numbers on the machine, and pinions cooperating with and normally engaging said 'c means; a totalizing mechanism comprising a plurality of counting wheels engaged with and actuated by said pinions to register values transmittedl to them byy said pinions, means normally tending to prevent disengagement of said pinions from said' first means, and vmeans for disengaging said pinions and said first means, whereby additional values can be transferred to said totalizer.

11. In an adding machine having manually `constantly engaging with corresponding operable member slides for setting up the number to-be added, a totalizing mechanism having rotatable counting disks, racks on said slides for actuating said disks, and drives counting wheels and which drives are conm tacted by corresponding racks upon actuation of the corresponding slides; means for resetting the slides, comprising a common slide in which the said drives are mounted, the said drives each having pins inserted in corresponding guide openings of the slide, whereby they are adapted for limited movement relative to said slide, resilient means for urging the drives into contact with the racks, the drives being positively and simultaneously disengaged from their corresponding racks upon actuation of the slide, and means for breaking the engagement between any particular rack and the corresponding drive when the corresponding number Wheel rotates as the result of the transfery of the unit tothe next highest counting position of the totalling mechanism.

12.,In an adding machine having manually operable member slides for setting up the number to be added, a totalizing mechanism having rotatable counting disks, racks on said slides for actuating said disks, and drives constantly engaging with corresponding counting wheels and which drives are contacted by corresponding racks upon actuation of the corresponding slides; means for resetting the slides, comprising a common slide in which the said drives are mounted, the said drives each having pins inserted in corresponding guide openings of the slide, whereby they are adapted for limited movement relative to said slide, resilient means for urging the drives into contact with the racks and for returning the slide to its initial position, the drives being positively and simultaneously disengaged from their corresponding racks upon actuation of the slide, and means for breaking the engagement between any particular rack and the corresponding drive when the corresponding number wheel rotates as the result of the transfer of the unit to the next highest counting position of the totalling mechanism.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

ALBERT STEINMANN. 

